Holmes, Andrew M.Emmans, Christopher J.Jones, NiallColeman, Robert C.Smith, Tessa E.Hosie, Charlotte A.2018-03-142018-03-142016-09-14Holmes, A. M., Emmans, C. J., Jones, N., Coleman, R., Smith, T. E. & Hosie, C. A. (2016). Impact of tank background on the welfare of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis (Daudin). Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 185, 131-136.0168-159110.1016/j.applanim.2016.09.005http://hdl.handle.net/10034/620950The captive environment of a laboratory animal can profoundly influence its welfare and the scientific validity of research produced. The African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) is a common model organism, however current husbandry guidelines lack supporting quantitative evidence. The visual environment is a fundamental aspect of a captive animal’s housing and may affect a number of physiological and behavioural responses. This is particularly important for species such as X. laevis where cryptic camouflage is a fundamental defence mechanism. Here male (n = 16) and female (n = 20) X. laevis were housed in tanks with ecologically relevant (black) and non-relevant (white) background colours and physiological and behavioural responses observed. Higher levels of water-borne corticosterone were observed in tanks with a white background compared to a black background in females (p = 0.047). Increased atypical active behaviours (Swimming: p = 0.042; Walling: p = 0.042) and a greater degree of body mass loss (p < 0.001) were also observed in the white background condition. Together these responses are indicative of increased stress of X. laevis when housed in tanks with a non-ecologically relevant background compared to an ecologically relevant background and suggest refined tank background colour may improve welfare in this species.enAnimal Welfare;Enrichment;Xenopus;Behaviour; .Corticosterone;Tank BackgroundArticleApplied Animal Behaviour Science185